Medical Support Assistant

Summary

The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) serves as a Medical Support for the Veterans Hospital, has the ability to fully perform the duties/functions related to all aspects of the full performance Medical Support Assistant, GS-0679-05 position at the Carl Vision Medical Center under the Health Administration Service Lines.

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Duties

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VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant:

Major duties include but are not limited to:

• The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) must demonstrate technical competency in the use of the VistA, VSE/GUI/ISS, Consult Toolbox, EC Fax and CPRS systems. The incumbent(s) provides administrative support to clinical, other administrative and professional staff throughout clinic, CBOC areas. The outpatient program requires administrative scheduling and appointment coordination for diagnostic testing, and consultative appointments for many clinical services.
• He/she must abide by federal privacy and confidentiality regulations and exhibit ethical conduct all times.
• Employee must complete and adhere to necessary annual VHA training requirements. He/she has a key role in the VHA Network Performance Measures for Revenue, Customer Service, Access to Care, and overall quality of healthcare delivery. Incumbent(s) in this position may be required to conduct individual quality assurance /process improvement checks/studies.
• He/she must be knowledgeable of Joint Commission requirements specific to his or her job, such as patients' rights, emergency preparedness, information security, ethical conduct, and environment of care.
• Employee must understand how to identify a Joint Commission surveyor and be able to articulate answers to questions they may be asked.
• The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) manages clinic operations, including appointment scheduling and patient information updates.
• Acts as a liaison for administrative tasks between patients and staff.
• Demonstrates technical proficiency in systems such as VistA, VSE/GUI/ISS, Consult Toolbox, EC Fax, and CPRS.
• Ensures compliance with federal privacy regulations and maintains confidentiality of sensitive materials.
• Supports eligibility processes and assists with the Beneficiary Travel Program as needed.
• Provides administrative support across clinical and administrative areas in outpatient clinics and CBOCs.
• Completes annual VHA training and participates in quality assurance and process improvement activities.
• Maintains knowledge of Joint Commission requirements, including patient rights, emergency preparedness, information security, and ethical conduct.
• Communicates effectively with surveyors and stakeholders to uphold healthcare quality standards.

Work Schedule : Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm.

Telework : Available at supervisor dis

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # :62852F

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)

Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66 .

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment medical evaluation
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements :

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency : Applicants appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English.
• Experience : Some experience equivalent to that of an MSA; OR
• Education : High school diploma with desire for some post high school education;

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria)

. Grade Determinations : Must possess one (1) full year (52 weeks) of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05).

Medical Support Assistant, GS-05 :

Experience or Education:

Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade;

OR,

Education. Two years of education above high school.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
• Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.
• Ability to operate computerized programs and systems in order to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient identifying information (PII) into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports.
• Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.
• Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work.
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is 5. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-5.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.